Coby Mayo

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Coby Gerald Mayo

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Biographical Information[edit]

Infielder Coby Mayo was drafted in the 4th round of the 2020 amateur draft (which only lasted five rounds) by the Baltimore Orioles out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. He was a sophomore at the school on February 14, 2018, when a former student went on a shooting spree that resulted in 17 persons being killed and as many injured. As he later explained: "I play for those [people] because they can't play. They don't have voices, they couldn't live what they wanted to do — and I can." He received a signing bonus of $1.75 million when he signed with the Orioles, well over slot value, foregoing a commitment to the University of Florida.

He had to wait until 2021 to begin his professional career, as the minor leagues had been shut down for the entire 2020 season by the COVID-19 pandemic, starting off with the FCL Orioles Black, then with the FCL Orioles Orange and finally the Delmarva Shorebirds. In 53 games, he hit .319/.426/.555 with 14 doubles, 9 homers and 41 RBIs, distinguishing himself in a system that was absolutely loaded with young talent. In 2022, he played a total of 104 games between the Aberdeen IronBirds and Bowie BaySox and a brief rehabilitation assignment with the FCL Orioles. As one of the youngest players ion the first two teams, he hit a combined .247/.326/.456 with 19 homers and 69 RBIs. In 2023, he had a breakout season between Bowie and the Norfolk Tides of the AAA International League, hitting .290/.410/.564 in 140 games, with 45 doubles, 29 homers, 84 runs and 99 RBIs. He was the Eastern League Player of the Month in June and that league's Player of the Year as well as a postseason All-Star. He was also named a Double-A All-Star by Baseball America and an Orioles organizational All-Star.

While he was racking up the honors in 2023, he was overshadowed by another top Orioles prospect, IF Jackson Holliday who raced through the minor leagues that year to be named the Minor League Player of the Year. In spring training in 2024, all eyes were on Holliday while Coby was lost among a bevy of other top prospects who would have been the envy of any other major league team. He was assigned to AAA Norfolk to start the season, alongside Holliday and a number of others who made the team the strongest in the minor leagues. They proved that on April 3rd when they set a number of team records in a 26-11 demolition of the Charlotte Knights. Mayo, playing first base, was at the center of things as one of two players who collected 5 hits on the night, including a double and a triple. Holliday had a brief stint in the majors in April, and other teammates like Connor Norby also got to make their debut with the Birds while Coby continued to dominate at Norfolk, hitting .301 in 77 games (and .462 in a four-game rehabilitation assignment with Aberdeen), with 20 homers and 61 RBIs. He was called up to Baltimore on August 2nd, after Jordan Westburg was sidelined with a broken hand; Holliday had already been called up for a second stint in the Show before the injury, and Norby had been one of the players traded to obtain reinforcements at other positions during the trading deadline. With IF Jorge Mateo also out with an injury, Coby was the next man up and was ready to get his chance to show what he could do against big league pitching.

In his major league debut against the Cleveland Guardians on August 2, 2024, he started at third base for the Orioles and drew a walk against Carlos Carrasco in his first at-bat. He went 0 for 2 with 2 walks and a run in an 8-4 loss.

Notable Achievements[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • Jake Rill: "O's No. 3 prospect Mayo to join club in Cleveland", mlb.com, August 2, 2024. [1]

Related Sites[edit]

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